All photos contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com, and are copyrighted. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. The photos were shot with a Canon PowerShot S90 10-megapixel digital camera (still camera with video capability).

We’ll start with our photos of the KAC Stoner LMG 5.56mm, and try to follow this article up with two more containing photos of the KAC M110 SASS Carbine and KAC SR-16 CQB SBR/PDW, respectively. The Stoner LMG is a slick little belt-fed LMG/SAW package. At only 10 lbs (4.5 kg), it feels very light in the hands, and is the lightest belt-fed machine gun Defense Review has ever handled.

In fact, it’s very close in weight to DefenseReview’s favorite mag-fed (magazine-fed) LMG/SAW, the ST Kinetics Ultimax 100 MK5 LMG/SAW, which utilizes a proprietary 100-shot drum mag (drum magazine), but can also utilize standard 4179 STANAG AR-15/M16 box magazines with a converter. The Ultimax was designed and developed specifically for the Singaporese army by the legendary gun design and development team of Jim Sullivan (L. James Sullivan) and Bob Waterfield. Previously, Sullivan had designed and developed the original Armalite AR-15/M16 assault rifle with Bob Fremont while working at the original Armalite company under the also legendary Gene Stoner (Eugene Stoner) (who would later go on to design and develop the Stoner LMG), and then go on to design and develop the Stoner 63 / XM22/E1 5.56mm NATO light machine gun (LMG) for Stoner at Cadillac Gage. The Stoner 63 was the world’s first modular machine gun.

Unfortunately, DefenseReview hasn’t had the opportunity to fire it under adverse conditions at high round count, so the weapon could just be a lot of hype. Then again, maybe it’s the heat. Assuming it works as advertised, it would be nice if Knight’s would be willing to release a civilian-legal semi-auto-only version that doesn’t cost a gazillion dollars.

In any case, here’s what the KAC website has to say about the Stoner LMG:

“The Stoner Light Machine Gun (LMG) is a shining star in the Stoner line-up. It belongs to a class generally lighter than other LMG’s and is highly mobile and portable for individual soldiers. Stoner LMG is one of the first belt-fed 5.56mm LMG and as the result, weighs considerably less and conclusively the ultimate compact LMG.

The Stoner LMG was developed by Eugene Stoner in the early 80’s to rival the FN in Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) trials.

The design of the Stoner LMG pays homage to the legendary Stoner 63. Eugene Stoner’s initial goal was to develop a light weight machine gun as a supplementary weapon for infantry soldiers to discharge greater volumes of continuous automatic fire than their usual standard firearms.

Eugene Stoner was determined to make the LMG a better and leaner LMG than the Stoner 63. KAC took Stoner’s design a few steps further after years of R&D. Their dedication finally paid off. The current KAC Stoner LMG is light weight and yet a powerful machine gun that tops its peers. Extensive tests conducted on the Stoner LMG have proven its superior controllability thanks to its light weight, the lowest in the LMG class ever developed. KAC Stoner LMG is not yet in full scale production, but can certainly meet client demand for increased portability and controllability, a step up from the currently in service 5.56mm machine guns.”

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.